Lighter Battery for TT250?

[simonjester]

Anybody try one of these new lighter batteries for the TT250? They are supposed to weigh 1/3 of the stock one and come with a 5 year warranty:
http://www.cscmotorcycles.com/Shorai-TT250-Lithium-Iron-Battery-p/lfx09l2-bs12.htm

[Megadan]

I plan on putting one in my hawk when the time calls for it. I put a lithium battery in my GL1000, and they do weigh about a third of a conventional battery. 16lbs to 5.1lbs in my Goldwings case, and honestly I could have gone smaller. Having a battery with 500cca in my bike is kind of entertaining though.

There are only a couple of things to consider with lithium batteries. 1. While improved over older designs, most LiFePO batteries are still not fans of colder weather - however running a load like the headlight for 30sec to a minute will cause them to warm up internally and bring back their cranking power. 2. They can be ruined if there is not sufficient charge voltage. Lead Acid, as long as it sees anything over 12 volts, is happy. LiFePO batteries want at least 13.8 Volts to remain happy, and usually no more than 14.8. Less than 13.8, and the life of the battery can be reduced. This is something most people overlook when they install these. A quick voltmeter test at the battery posts while the bike is running will tell you if the charging system is up to the task. Otherwise, you will be happy with the battery. I love the Bikemaster brand battery in my GL

[2LZ]

Interesting find!

One of the RX3's we bought came with an itty-bitty lithium battery in it and it weighs nothing. Plus it's way smaller so it's got foam packed all around it. The battery has yet to fail me after a long Winter of sitting.

The only drawback is I have 8 float charges.....and I can't use them on the lithium battery. I guess I need to buy a 9th trickle charger......

[Megadan]

Interesting find!

One of the RX3's we bought came with an itty-bitty lithium battery in it and it weighs nothing. Plus it's way smaller so it's got foam packed all around it. The battery has yet to fail me after a long Winter of sitting.

The only drawback is I have 8 float charges.....and I can't use them on the lithium battery. I guess I need to buy a 9th trickle charger......

I have this. It even comes with the battery leads/quick connect to put on the bike, or standard battery clamps. It's rather nice and has worked well for me.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0167JU8VI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[2LZ]

I have this. It even comes with the battery leads/quick connect to put on the bike, or standard battery clamps. It's rather nice and has worked well for me.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0167JU8VI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

That's the one I was nosing around at! :-) The price is right. Some of those chargers can be very expensive. Glad to hear it works well for you. I'd much rather buy something that one of our China Riders have had luck with than shoot into the dark. Thanks for the good word!

[Azhule]

I went with the "OptiMate" charger for my Lithium battery, a little more spendy but it works perfect, and it's made by the same company as Battery Tender, WPS, and Shorai

https://www.amazon.com/OptiMATE-Lithium-TM-471-Battery-charger-tester-maintainer/dp/B00Y38X7WI/

[Megadan]

Something to keep an eye on with lithium batteries is their features. Some come with built in charge monitoring circuits, like Bikemaster brand, and can be used with certain types of standard chargers, as well as built in internal volt testers to keep an eye on the battery. Not really necessary, but nice.

[Megadan]

I went with the "OptiMate" charger for my Lithium battery, a little more spendy but it works perfect, and it's made by the same company as Battery Tender, WPS, and Shorai

https://www.amazon.com/OptiMATE-Lithium-TM-471-Battery-charger-tester-maintainer/dp/B00Y38X7WI/

This does bring up a good point. I see that one is soecifically setup for small 4 cell batteries, and thus charges at 0.8A. The one I linked goes up to 2A, which is fine for my big 16 cell in my goldwing, but could be an issue with smaller batteries. I will have to go through the papers ot came with when i get home to see if there are any exceptions. The batteries themselves will often also dictate maximum charge amps. My 16 cell can handle up to 5 amps

[ughmas]

Here is the same model they offer for 15 less if you want to save a buck. I have it on my wish list for when the stocker dies.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005FIUGPQ/

[hertz9753]

http://products.batterytender.com/Dion/Battery-Tender-Junior-12V-0-75A.html

I use one of those on my tiny 125cc Battery Tender Lithium battery. You can find the charger cheaper on ebay and other places.